The present invention relates generally to child carriers for supporting a child in a child compartment adjacent the back of a hiker, and more particularly to a child carrier having an adjustable five point child safety harness for securing the child in the child compartment.
A conventional child carrier has a forward portion with shoulder straps and a waist strap for holding the child carrier on the back of a hiker. A child compartment having a seat portion for supporting the child is positioned rearward of the forward portion. Some older model child carriers included no means for holding the child in the compartment. Later model child carriers include a shoulder harness and/or a simple lap belt to prevent the child from falling (or climbing) out of the carrier.
However, some later model child carrier harnesses and lap belts have proven deficient under real world conditions. It has been reported with regard to recent recalls of some child carriers that certain harnesses and/or lap belts do not always prevent the child from wriggling out of the child compartment. The prior art harnesses and lap belts are often difficult to properly tighten against the child, which is due in part to the difficulty of adjusting straps inside the child compartment while the child is in the carrier. Where the harness and/or lap belt are not properly used, there is a serious risk that the child may wriggle out of the child compartment and fall to the ground.